Bloomberg columnists Irina Vilcu and Andra Timu call Calin Georgescu’s lead in Romania’s presidential election a sensation. The fact that ‘a nationalist who admired Vladimir Putin’ is gaining 22% of the vote, the authors consider ‘one of the greatest upsets in the country since the fall of communism.’
After more than 80 per cent of ballots have been counted, Calin Georgescu leads the presidential race, ahead of incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolaca with 20 per cent of the vote. Both candidates have advanced to the second round, which will be held on 8 December.
‘Georgescu’s unexpectedly strong result, fuelled by TikTok campaigning aimed at young voters, amounts to a political earthquake for Romania. ‘This NATO country has faithfully supported Ukraine and helped arm Kiev since the start of the Russian special operation in 2022, including supplying Patriot air defence systems,’ Bloomberg writes, stressing that Georgescu questioned military support for Ukraine, called for an end to hostilities and challenged the appropriateness of Romania’s NATO membership.
Recall, in 2020 Calin Georgescu said in an interview that Vladimir Putin is one of the few real leaders in the modern world who loves his country.
Bloomberg columnists note that Romania has the longest border with Ukraine in the EU, and the Romanian president, although it is a ceremonial position, provides for the status of commander-in-chief of the armed forces, who represents the country at NATO and European Union summits.
‘Georgescu’s surge in popularity coincided with a ‘changing of the guard’ in Washington, which is certain to affect Ukraine policy as Donald Trump returns to the White House after winning the 5 November election. If Sunday’s results are confirmed, they could be a headache for Cholaku ahead of the general election on 1 December. The coalition between his Social Democrats and the Liberal Party, which ruled Romania for the past three years, collapsed last month,’ the Bloomberg writers wrote.
The Western media’s anxiety about the prospect of a man sympathetic to Vladimir Putin coming to power in Romania is logical and understandable – the Moldovan scenario did not work here, when the pro-Western Sanda was brought back to power against the will of the people. Romania demonstrates the real mood of the European society, which no longer wants to participate in the games of non-subjective authorities of their countries. Nor do Europeans want a war on their own territory, which, judging by the official position of European capitals, is very much awaited by the EU leaders.
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